Separable joint



Feb. 10, 1931. I c E. BOWERS SEPARABLE JOINT Filed Nov. 19. 1928 Patented Feb. 10, 1931 UNITED- STATES CLAUDE n-nowERs, or Los nnentnspcntrroanm SEPARAIBLE JOINT.

Application filed November 19, 1928. Serial No. 320,288. I I V This invention relates to separable metal joints and has been developed particularly for right angle mountings between parts such bed ends. 7

Many types of joints have been designed for such purposes as bed constructions,,but a quite common fault has been lack' of rigidity resulting in sidesway and also in vertical play, this being especially true where the construction possessed comparative simplicity and cheapness of manufacture.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an all-metal joint, that is, one where in all contacts are metal to metal, which joint shall be adapted for the supporting of one part upon another and shall be relativelysimple in construction, moderate in cost, amply strong and perfectly rigid when assembled.

Broadly stated, the invention resides in a supporting member and a supported member, the former including a mounting plate or base plate adapted to be carried bythe primary structure, e. g. a bed post or table leg, said plate having an offset tongue, preferably disposed vertically. The supported member comprises an apertured web adapted to pass over and be engaged by the tongue, said supported member including parts adapted to engage both the tongue and the base plate of the supporting member in such relation as to brace the supported member against the supporting member, the parts being unyieldingly wedged in operative position. In a preferred form, the tongue is tapered in two directions, transverse to each other, whereby the tongue is wedged in the aperture and a bracing finger on the supported member is forced against the base plate. In addition the supported member includes a broad face to engage one face of the tongue and brace the structure in one direction, and a pair of vertically spaced positioning lugs is provided to engage another faceof the tongue at top and bottom and act to brace the structure in another direction.

In the accompanying drawings wherein one form of the invention is disclosed by way of illustration:

- Fig. 1 is an inside perspective "view of the supporting member asattached to abed post,

table leg or other standard. 5 as required in the mounting of bed rails upon Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the supported member from the upper, side.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the supported member from the under side.

Fig. 4 is 'an elevation showing the ass sembled joint from the outside, f

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the assembled joint from the upper and under sides respectively. 1 v

. Fig. 7 is a side elevation on a reduced scale of the supporting member particularly showing the structure of the tongue.

In the drawings the supportingmember is .shown as aflixed to. a post P which may be one ofthe posts of a bed end, or ofa table, or of'a shelf'structure or'any'other device to be assembled. Said supporting member comprises a base plate 10 adapted to be screwed or bolted in position, said plate being provided with an offset flange 12 provided with a vertically disposed tongue 14 formed by slotting the flange from the top as indicated at 15. In'orderto provide an inclinedor tapered wedging wall 16, an in-' termediate portion of the tongue 14 is bulged or offset from the general plane of the tongue as best indicated in Figs 1 and 6, and the inner or slot edge of said tongue 14 is also in- 'clined as indicated at 18, thereby tapering the tongue in two transverse directions.

The supported member comprises a rail constructedof angle iron thereby providing a horizontal web 20 and a vertical wall 21, and to the under side of the web 20. at the end thereof a short piece of angle iron is secured, the horizontal portion 22 being riveted. or welded or otherwisesuitably mounted upon the 'web' 20, while the vertical wall 23 depends in" alignment with the wall 21, thus forming a 'T-head. The combined web formed by the parts 20 and 22 is provided with an elongated aperture 24 to receive the tongue 14, and the end of said web is slotted or notched at 25 to receive the upper portion ofthe flange 12 and to form a forwardly projecting bracing finger 26 adapted to engage the baseplate 10. m0

The supported member consisting of parts 20, 21, 23, is adaptedto be dropped'into po sition over the tongue 14;.as shown best in Figs. 5 and 6, so that the inner longitudinal wall of the slot 24 rides down along the inclined face 16 and the forward end wall of said slot rides down alon theinclined edge 18 thus wedging the rail upon said tongue and forcing the'finger 26. forward into en.- gagement with the base plate 10.

The broad faces formed by the vertical walls 21 and 23 engage the outer'fface of the" tongue 14 and thereby limit inward movement as the walls of the slot 2 1 settle upon the inclined wedging faces 16 and 18 of the tongue, while a pair of vertically spaced, properly aligned lugs 28 and 30 stuck up respeetively from the vertical Walls 21 and 23 engage the outer vertical edge 32 of the I tongue 14, so as to positionlthe parts properly with respect to tongue 14 and insure the desired binding engagementof the end of slot 24 with the inclined or tapered face 18, while at the same time limiting movement of finger 26 toward base plate 10.

Thus it will be seen that the binding action of the wall of slot 24 against the inclined or tapered faces 16 and 18 of tongue 14: and the engagement of the walls 21 and 23 with the outer face of said tongue and the flange 12, cooperate with the bracing finger 26 and the positioning lugs 28 and 30, to brace the parts of the assembled joint, take up all play therein and insure rigidity in the mounting. Where this structure is used at the four corners of such devices as beds and tables, the four joints so arranged serve to assist one another in preventing lateral sway, thus completing an unusually rigid mounting'for simply constructed devices of this type.

r I claim: i

.1. In a joint,a supporting member having a vertically disposed tongue, a supported member having a T-head, the web of said head having an aperture to receive' said tongue, the two aligned walls of said head each having a lug, said lugs, being aligned and adapted to engage one edge of said tongue whenengaged in said aperture.

2. In a joint, a pair of members, one member comprising a base plate having an ofiset vertically disposed ton 'ue,'the other member comprising a horizontally disposed web provided with an aperture to receive the tongue,

and verticalportions extending on opposite sides of the web, said portions being provided with lugs to engage one edge. of said tongue when a wall of the aperture engages an opposite edge of said tongue.

3. In a joint, a base member. having a tongue, a rail having a web apertured to engage said tongue and a laterally disposed bracing finger to engage said base member,

said rail having two vertically spaced lugs to engage one edge of said tongue, said rail havported transversely below its upper end to form an inclined wedging face, the inclined edge and face wedging in said aperture in opposite directions, and a bracing finger on the supmember engaging the supporting member. v

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CLAUDE. E. BOWERS. 

